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Found my first Feral Hive Today

I have been trying to locate this Feral hive since last May when they swarmed over my house. We put sugar water out when ever it got warm over the winter, some days they would hit it when it was only 45% out. I even marked several to time them so I knew they weren't over 3/4 mile away.

Well it finely warmed up longer than 2 day's and I put out some hanging feeder's with a piece of comb. I put about 5 miles on the 4 Wheeler since 2:30 today traveling from ridge to ridge. After taking compass readings on were they were flying I transferred the headings to a map from Goggle Earth. So I had a good idea were they were. I went to the spot on my map and after listening and checking any tree of good size I was able to locate them. They are about 10' up coming out of a knot hole about 2". They are on my new neighbors property. (I just met them Friday evening they didn't know we were up here.) About a 1/2 mile away how the crow flies but about 1 1/2 driving by driveway's and road. They have given me permission to harvest them.I don't have any bees yet but I am getting 3 nukes started in my boxes by a fellow club member.

I need to know if it is to soon to set up my Cleo Hogan Jr. trap? We don't have any trees in bloom yet but they may be tomorrow. We have lots of red buds and Oak getting ready to pop. I am located in the Nat. Forest so all we have is trees and more trees.

Now I can start looking for the other 2 that have been hitting my feeders.

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

Hoot Owl Lane Bees Go ahead and set the trap up and get them used to coming and going through the trap. Then wait until the colony has had a chance to build up from the Winter, and a good honey flow is in progress. Then introduce the unsealed brood and start taking starts from the tree.

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

Originally Posted by Hoot Owl Lane Bees

should I just hang the empty box?

No, go ahead and put frames with foundation in the trap. Let them draw it out as they want to.

After sealing all the entrances, the guard bees will move to the front of the trap. They will not likely draw on the foundation until a good flow starts, and then without brood, they may want to use it for surplus storage rather than a brood nest. With foundation only, you don't have to worry about wax moths or small hive beetles.

The secret to get good starts, with the right mix of bees, is to add some unsealed brood. This normally starts them using the trap as a brood chamber, which is what you want them to do.

Could you partner with a local beekeeper for a frame of unsealed brood. You get the first start for finding the tree, they get the second start for supplying the unsealed brood. After this first start, you will have drawn comb, and unsealed brood for future trapping. A good tree will yield 3 - 5 starts per year.

Yes, I will be in Springfield, on the 23d of April. Looking forward to it.

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

Thank You
We will get it set up tomorrow. I built several trap out units last year after contacting you about a hive at another neighbors that was 35' up. They didn't make it over the winter. I will try to post pictures.
Jim

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

[QUOTE= Set up swarm traps around the area and collect 1 - 2 swarms per year from them.[/QUOTE]

Setting up swarm traps is hit or miss. You may catch them when they swarm, or you may not. Depends on whether they like/want your swarm box or not. With the trap, it is a sure thing.

If you just take starts from the tree, and allow it to build back up, before taking the next start, you don't do any harm to the feral colony. In effect all you are doing is harvesting the excess which would likely swarm anyway. Difference is, the trap is a sure thing, catching swarms in swarm boxes is hit and miss, and requires extra boxes sitting around in the woods.

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

That is awesome!

I have only seen one feral hive in my outdoor travels. Two years ago I took a week off from work was hiking the AT in CT. On the trail I came a cross a hive in a split of a maple tree at eye level right on the trail. It was a sight.

"Someday we will look back and realize someone was right...and conveniently forget we were the ones that were wrong."

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

We got the harvest box up tonight. We used our two man hunting stand to set it on. The bee's were fanning at the entrance. but non flying as it was 55 degrees and slight drizzle. I put an entrance feeder on since it is going to get cool here. I will post pictures when we get them downloaded.
Jim

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

Originally Posted by oldrockbees

don't know what a trap out unit is.

I am not sure there is any bee terminology as , "trap out unit". I could not find it referenced here, but I believe the writer was referring to the deep super used as the trap, and a transition that attaches to a tree, tank, wall, etc, to use to trap bees.

Send me an e-mail cchoganjr@scrtc.com and I will send you the instructions (with photos of traps in progress) for the trap out system that I use, and that Hoot Owl Lane Bees referenced in the post above.

Hope this is helpful.

EDITED.... I did find the terminology, "trap out unit" in the post by Hoot Owl Lane Bees above.

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

Followup
We had first installed the harvester with a top entrance I made for a Feral Hive we found last year about 35' up. (DIDN'T DO) I found out why it is important to tape all joints. The bees weren't going through the box. The first video shows the first setup. The second one is the best way to do it. The third explains how it works. We videoed the swap out but 20 min. is longer than you tub will allow. Our house is about 1/4 mile out& 500' up in line with the truck.

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

Setting up swarm traps is hit or miss. You may catch them when they swarm, or you may not. Depends on whether they like/want your swarm box or not. With the trap, it is a sure thing.

If you just take starts from the tree, and allow it to build back up, before taking the next start, you don't do any harm to the feral colony. In effect all you are doing is harvesting the excess which would likely swarm anyway. Difference is, the trap is a sure thing, catching swarms in swarm boxes is hit and miss, and requires extra boxes sitting around in the woods.

It is just another management tool to increase your colony count.

cchoganjr

Do you have any drawings or web site I could see the bee trap? I have "caught two swarms with boxes but my neighbor cut down his bee tree last winter and brought it to my house. I was going to try taking a chain saw and cutting it up and trying to house the bees but decided I might kill the queen and decided not to bother them but maybe catch a swam from them later. The bee trap sounds interesting? The tree is 20 feet long and 18-24 " across and is laying horizonally 20 yards from my "boughten" bees that I got last year. They seem to be doing good and are busy bringing in pollen and nectar. Appreciate a web site or picture of the bee trap. Thank you and God bless!

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

Thanks, Hoot Owl, good luck with your bees. I am in Missouri also south of Chillicothe in north central MO. Never rained last year but things are really popping this year. Have had 13" of rain in the last few weeks!

Re: Found my first Feral Hive Today

Luterra, just viewed your blog. Interesting. May have to try the trap. Now just have a couple of traps near the log in my yard. I caught two swams in boxes in the past two weeks. One of them might have swarmed from the log. not sure.